Max Whitlocks Crazy Olympic Abs Workout

This article was originally published by AskMen UK.

When it comes to fitspo, there's really no beating the Olympics. Those two weeks in Rio showcased the world's finest athletes, all of them doing things with their bodies that simultaneously glued us to our sofas, and made us want to get off them. Now that the Games are over, so are our excuses – it's time to get back to the gym. The good news is we have a double gold-medallist to inspire your next workout.

WHO’S MY NEW PT?

Max Antony Whitlock, Team GB athlete and the world’s BEST artistic gymnast. As in, there’s no other gymnast in the world that can beat him. By default, that makes Max’s physique one of the best in the world too – because his frankly staggering core strength played a big part in powering him to two gold medals (and a bronze) in Rio.

And, when it comes to abs, one look at the 23-year-old is enough to tell you that he knows what it takes to get a shredded, washboard mid-section.

WHAT ARE WE DOING?

"This is my core strengthening warm-up workout which I incorporate into my warm-up every day before training," says Max. "It gets my body going and provides and an all-round core workout for the abs, sides and back."

WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?

Building strength in your core. It's the foundation for so much of what Max does. It's also the reason he has a six-pack.

DIFFICULTY LEVEL

"The workout can be adapted for beginners and intermediates by lowering the reps and hold time of each exercise," Max says. "I spend five minutes on the mid-section warm-up doing slower, prolonged movements to make the workout more intense."

THE WORKOUT

"Prior to this core workout I’ll run a few laps around the studio to get the heart pumping and then a top tip is to do some pre-workout stretching. I’ll stretch for around 30 minutes to warm-up right into the muscle tissue.

"As a gymnast core strength is the most integral part of my training programme. This workout targets the front, back and sides and prepares my body for the next step in my daily training which is strengthening movements and complete body conditioning exercises. This is how it goes:

Start by lying on your back:

  • 12 leg raises
  • 12 upper body raises
  • 12 sit-ups
  • 12 sit-ups with twists
  • 12 v-sits (foot touches)

Turn onto right side and repeat:

  • 12 leg raises with left leg
  • 12 upper body raises
  • 12 side sit-ups
  • 12 side sit-ups with twists

Turn onto left side and repeat:

  • 12 left raises with right leg
  • 12 upper body raises
  • 12 side sit-ups
  • 12 side sit-ups with twists

Lie on your stomach and repeat:

  • 12 upper body raises
  • 12 upper body raises with twists
  • 12 leg raises with left leg
  • 12 leg raises with right leg

"Although this is my warm-up routine, it’ll probably feel like a hardcore workout for your abs. So get some protein in when you're finished."

THE RECOVERY

"For me, recovery is such an integral part of my training so I’ll make sure I have a good dose straight after my session. This usually involves steak, fish or chicken and vegetables. But I also take protein recovery gels as they’re convenient and very quickly rebuild the muscle tissue, which is a crucial process when you’re training so much."

"My favourite protein at the moment is one of the Myprotein Recovery Plus Elite (£21.99 for a box of 12) gels which have a good formulation of protein, carbs and BCAAs. They’re also tested against banned substances which gives me complete peace of mind.



Via : https://boutder.blogspot.com

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